(a) (1) An administrator of a residential care facility for the elderly shall be required to successfully complete a department-approved certification program prior to employment.
(2) In those cases where the individual is both the licensee and the administrator of a facility, or a licensed nursing home administrator, the individual shall comply with the requirements of this section unless he or she qualifies for one of the exemptions provided for in subdivision (b).
(3) Failure to comply with this section shall constitute cause for revocation of the license of the facility where an individual is functioning as the administrator.
(4) The licensee shall notify the department within 30 days of any change in administrators.
(b) Individuals seeking exemptions under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall meet the following criteria and fulfill the required portions of the certification program, as the case may be:
(1) An individual designated as the administrator of a residential care facility for the elderly who holds a valid license as a nursing home administrator issued in accordance with Chapter 2.35 (commencing with Section 1416) of Division 2 shall be required to complete the areas in the uniform core of knowledge required by this section that pertain to the law, regulations, policies, and procedural standards that impact the operations of residential care facilities for the elderly, the use, misuse, and interaction of medication commonly used by the elderly in a residential setting, and resident admission, retention, and assessment procedures, equal to 12 hours of classroom instruction. An individual meeting the requirements of this paragraph shall not be required to take a written test.
(2) In those cases where the individual was both the licensee and administrator on or before July 1, 1991, the individual shall be required to complete all the areas specified for the certification program, but shall not be required to take the written test required by this section. Those individuals exempted from the written test shall be issued a conditional certification that is valid only for the administrator of the facility for which the exemption was granted.
(A) As a condition to becoming an administrator of another facility, the individual shall be required to pass the written test provided for in this section.
(B) As a condition to applying for a new facility license, the individual shall be required to pass the written test provided for in Section 1569.23.
(c) (1) The administrator certification program shall require a minimum of 80 hours of coursework, which shall include at least 60 hours of in-person instruction that provides training on a uniform core of knowledge in each of the following areas:
(A) Laws, regulations, and policies and procedural standards that impact the operations of residential care facilities for the elderly.
(B) Business operations.
(C) Management and supervision of staff.
(D) Psychosocial needs of the elderly.
(E) Community and support services.
(F) Physical needs for elderly persons.
(G) Medication management, including the use, misuse, and interaction of medication commonly used by the elderly, including antipsychotics and the adverse effects of psychotropic drugs for use in controlling the behavior of persons with dementia.
(H) Resident admission, retention, and assessment procedures.
(I) Managing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including nonpharmacologic, person-centered approaches to dementia care.
(J) Cultural competency and sensitivity in issues relating to the underserved aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
(K) Residents’ rights and the importance of initial and ongoing training for all staff to ensure that residents’ rights are fully respected and implemented.
(L) Managing the physical environment, including, but not limited to, maintenance and housekeeping.
(M) Postural supports, restricted health conditions, and hospice care.
(2) Individuals applying for certification under this section shall successfully complete an approved certification program, pass a written test administered by the department within 60 days of completing the program, and submit the documentation required by subdivision (d) to the department within 30 days of being notified of having passed the test. The department may extend these time deadlines for good cause. The department shall notify the applicant of his or her test results within 30 days of administering the test.
(3) The department shall ensure the test consists of at least 100 questions and allows an applicant to have access to the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act and related regulations during the test. The department, no later than July 1 of every other year, shall review and revise the test in order to ensure the rigor and quality of the test. Each year, the department shall ensure, by January 1, that the test is not in conflict with prevailing law. The department may convene a stakeholder group to assist in developing and reviewing test questions.
(d) The department shall not begin the process of issuing a certificate until receipt of all of the following:
(1) A certificate of completion of the administrator training required pursuant to this chapter.
(2) The fee required for issuance of the certificate. A fee of one hundred dollars ($100) shall be charged by the department to cover the costs of processing the application for certification.
(3) Documentation of passing the written test or of qualifying for an exemption pursuant to subdivision (b).
(4) Submission of fingerprints. The department and the Department of Justice shall expedite the criminal record clearance for holders of certificates of completion. The department may waive the submission for those persons who have a current criminal record clearance on file.
(e) It shall be unlawful for a person not certified under this section to hold himself or herself out as a certified administrator of a residential care facility for the elderly. Any person willfully making a false representation as being a certified administrator is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(f) (1) Certificates issued under this section shall be renewed every two years and renewal shall be conditional upon the certificate holder submitting documentation of completion of 40 hours of continuing education related to the uniform core of knowledge specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c). No more than one-half of the required 40 hours of continuing education necessary to renew the certificate may be satisfied through online courses. All other continuing education hours shall be completed in a classroom setting. For purposes of this section, individuals who hold a valid license as a nursing home administrator issued in accordance with Chapter 2.35 (commencing with Section 1416) of Division 2 and meet the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) shall only be required to complete 20 hours of continuing education.
(2) Every certified administrator of a residential care facility for the elderly is required to renew his or her certificate and shall complete the continuing education requirements of this subdivision whether he or she is certified according to subdivision (a) or (b). At least eight hours of the 40-hour continuing education requirement for a certified administrator of a residential care facility for the elderly shall include instruction on serving clients with dementia, including, but not limited to, instruction related to direct care, physical environment, and admissions procedures and assessment.
(3) Certificates issued under this section shall expire every two years, on the anniversary date of the initial issuance of the certificate, except that any administrator receiving his or her initial certification on or after January 1, 1999, shall make an irrevocable election to have his or her recertification date for any subsequent recertification either on the date two years from the date of issuance of the certificate or on the individual’s birthday during the second calendar year following certification. The department shall send a renewal notice to the certificate holder 90 days prior to the expiration date of the certificate. If the certificate is not renewed prior to its expiration date, reinstatement shall only be permitted after the certificate holder has paid a delinquency fee equal to three times the renewal fee and has provided evidence of completion of the continuing education required.
(4) To renew a certificate, the certificate holder shall, on or before the certificate expiration date, request renewal by submitting to the department documentation of completion of the required continuing education courses and pay the renewal fee of one hundred dollars ($100), irrespective of receipt of the department’s notification of the renewal. A renewal request postmarked on or before the expiration of the certificate is proof of compliance with this paragraph.
(5) A suspended or revoked certificate is subject to expiration as provided for in this section. If reinstatement of the certificate is approved by the department, the certificate holder, as a condition precedent to reinstatement, shall pay a fee in an amount equal to the renewal fee, plus the delinquency fee, if any, accrued at the time of its revocation or suspension.
(6) A certificate that is not renewed within four years after its expiration shall not be renewed, restored, reissued, or reinstated except upon completion of a certification program, passing any test that may be required of an applicant for a new certificate at that time, and paying the appropriate fees provided for in this section.
(7) A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be charged for the reissuance of a lost certificate.
(8) A certificate holder shall inform the department of his or her employment status within 30 days of any change.
(g) The department may revoke a certificate issued under this section for any of the following:
(1) Procuring a certificate by fraud or misrepresentation.
(2) Knowingly making or giving any false statement or information in conjunction with the application for issuance of a certificate.
(3) Criminal conviction, unless an exemption is granted pursuant to Section 1569.17.
(h) The certificate shall be considered forfeited under either of the following conditions:
(1) The administrator has had a license revoked, suspended, or denied as authorized under Section 1569.50.
(2) The administrator has been denied employment, residence, or presence in a facility based on action resulting from an administrative hearing pursuant to Section 1569.58.
(i) (1) The department shall establish, by regulation, the program content, the testing instrument, the process for approving certification programs, and criteria to be used in authorizing individuals, organizations, or educational institutions to conduct certification programs and continuing education courses. These regulations shall be developed in consultation with provider and consumer organizations, and shall be made available at least six months prior to the deadline required for certification. The department may deny vendor approval to any agency or person that has not provided satisfactory evidence of their ability to meet the requirements of vendorization set out in the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (j).
(2) (A) A vendor of online programs for continuing education shall ensure that each online course contains all of the following:
(i) An interactive portion where the participant receives feedback, through online communication, based on input from the participant.
(ii) Required use of a personal identification number or personal identification information to confirm the identity of the participant.
(iii) A final screen displaying a printable statement, to be signed by the participant, certifying that the identified participant completed the course. The vendor shall obtain a copy of the final screen statement with the original signature of the participant prior to the issuance of a certificate of completion. The signed statement of completion shall be maintained by the vendor for a period of three years and be available to the department upon demand. Any person who certifies as true any material matter pursuant to this section that he or she knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(B) Nothing in this subdivision shall prohibit the department from approving online programs for continuing education that do not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) if the vendor demonstrates to the department’s satisfaction that, through advanced technology, the course and the course delivery meet the requirements of this section.
(3) The department may authorize vendors to conduct the administrator certification training program pursuant to provisions set forth in this section. The department shall conduct the written test pursuant to regulations adopted by the department.
(4) The department shall prepare and maintain an updated list of approved training vendors.
(5) The department may inspect training programs, continuing education courses, and online courses, at no charge to the department, in order to determine if content and teaching methods comply with paragraphs (1) and (2), if applicable, and with regulations. If the department determines that a vendor is not complying with the intent of this section, the department shall take appropriate action to bring the program into compliance, which may include removing the vendor from the approved list.
(6) The department shall establish reasonable procedures and timeframes, not to exceed 30 days, for the approval of vendor training programs.
(7) The department may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150) every two years, to certification program vendors for review and approval of the initial 80-hour training program pursuant to subdivision (c). The department may also charge the vendor a fee, not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) every two years, for the review and approval of the continuing education courses needed for recertification pursuant to this subdivision.
(j) This section shall be operative upon regulations being adopted by the department to implement the administrator certification program as provided for in this section.
(k) The department shall establish a registry for holders of certificates that shall include, at a minimum, information on employment status and criminal record clearance.
(l) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, vendors approved by the department who exclusively provide either initial or continuing education courses for certification of administrators of a residential care facility for the elderly, as defined in subdivision (k) of Section 1569.2, a group home facility, as defined by regulations of the department, or an adult residential care facility, as defined by regulations of the department, shall be regulated solely by the department pursuant to this chapter. No other state or local governmental entity shall be responsible for regulating the activity of those vendors.
(m) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
(Repealed (in Sec. 3) and added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 705, Sec. 4. (SB 911) Effective January 1, 2015. Section operative January 1, 2016, by its own provisions.)